Related Links

Former valedictorian to speak at Deltona MLK event

Published: Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 6:51 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 11:20 p.m.

When Arvia (Bruten) Hall gave her valedictorian speech to the DeLand High School Class of 1990, she mentioned two names.

Facts

If you go

WHAT: Deltona DreamKeepers' annual Martin Luther King Weekend Celebration breakfast.WHERE: New Hope Baptist Church, 2855 Lake Helen-Osteen Road.WHEN: 9 a.m. SaturdayFEATURING: A talk by Arvia (Bruten) Hall, a DeLeon Springs native who, in 1990, was valedictorian at DeLand High School. She is now a manager at General Electric Co., a graduate of Georgia Tech and a wife and mother of three children in Stockbridge, Ga.TICKETS: $10. Available at the door or by calling Mike Williams at 386-804-6136.ALSO: A gospel program is set for 4 p.m. Sunday at the Deltona Alliance Church, 921 Deltona Blvd., followed by a candlelight vigil.

Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King.

On Saturday, the now-40 mother and manager at General Electric Co. will return to Volusia County to once again address a large crowd — and she'll have little choice but to discuss at least one of those two iconic figures in recent history. Hall will address the Deltona DreamKeepers' annual Martin Luther King Weekend Breakfast on Saturday morning at New Hope Baptist Church.

Organizers of the talk say she is DeLand High's first and only black valedictorian. Volusia County was one of the last counties in Florida to integrate its schools in the 1969-1970 academic year, according to a district history, and some longtime DeLand residents say they can't think of another black valedictorian at DeLand High. However, school officials say they have no way of verifying that.

Hall considers herself a beneficiary of the work of King and other civil rights advocates – and not a pioneer herself.

"Me and my friends never faced any racial-type situations," she recalled in a telephone interview this week. "I never felt as though my color, my race, held me back from anything. It could have been me being young and blind to it."

She said she was often the only black student in honors and Advanced Placement courses. But she said she was used to being a racial minority, having grown up in DeLeon Springs, so it wasn't really an issue for her.

"I was very comfortable with high school," Hall said. "Those were some of my greatest years. ... One of my good friends will be introducing me (Saturday in Deltona)."

Hall's family said there might have been more going on beneath the surface, but no one questions her ability to focus on her studies and avoid getting pulled into the drama and politics of high school's upper echelon.

"Even as a small kid, she was always very bright," said Jim Johnson, her cousin, an Ormond-by-the-Sea resident who, along with his wife, Dorothy, at times hosted his much-younger cousin and helped guide her toward college.

Hall didn't know she was in the running for valedictorian until late in her senior year. Johnson said he and Hall's mother, Louise of DeLeon Springs, had to intervene in order to make sure Hall's entire record was considered.

"Initially, the student about to be named valedictorian was actually the salutatorian. There were questions as to whether they could find Arvia's grades," Johnson said.

Eventually, questions about her transcript were cleared up and Hall was given the honor.

"She was driven to be a straight-A student and she did what she needed to do no matter what obstacle was put in front of her," Johnson said.

Former DeLand High Principal Lee Britton, who's retired but still lives in the community, said he doesn't remember any problems related to Hall's race. But he certainly remembers her.

"She was just a doll. A brilliant person," he said. "Talk about bright. I wish I had her brain power."

The Johnsons, as part of their mission to get Hall to consider not just college but an elite higher education, took her to Boston to visit the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, but they recall the temperature had fallen into the 40s and it was June. Hall, who didn't want to stay in Florida for college, decided instead to go to another famous engineering school, Georgia Tech.

She and her husband, Marshall Hall, have three children and live in Stockbridge, Ga., an Atlanta suburb.

During her valedictorian speech in 1990, Hall said: "We should always keep in mind from whence we came."

She credited her mother and family with giving her a strong support system to thrive.

And now, she speaks from a parent's perspective.

"One of the points I was going to make during my speech," she said, "is it's so powerful, the words you speak to a child. You're formulating their opinion of themselves. (My family) anticipated great things for me."

<p>When Arvia (Bruten) Hall gave her valedictorian speech to the DeLand High School Class of 1990, she mentioned two names. </p><p>Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King. </p><p>On Saturday, the now-40 mother and manager at General Electric Co. will return to Volusia County to once again address a large crowd &mdash; and she'll have little choice but to discuss at least one of those two iconic figures in recent history. Hall will address the Deltona DreamKeepers' annual Martin Luther King Weekend Breakfast on Saturday morning at New Hope Baptist Church. </p><p>Organizers of the talk say she is DeLand High's first and only black valedictorian. Volusia County was one of the last counties in Florida to integrate its schools in the 1969-1970 academic year, according to a district history, and some longtime DeLand residents say they can't think of another black valedictorian at DeLand High. However, school officials say they have no way of verifying that. </p><p>Hall considers herself a beneficiary of the work of King and other civil rights advocates – and not a pioneer herself. </p><p>"Me and my friends never faced any racial-type situations," she recalled in a telephone interview this week. "I never felt as though my color, my race, held me back from anything. It could have been me being young and blind to it." </p><p>She said she was often the only black student in honors and Advanced Placement courses. But she said she was used to being a racial minority, having grown up in DeLeon Springs, so it wasn't really an issue for her. </p><p>"I was very comfortable with high school," Hall said. "Those were some of my greatest years. ... One of my good friends will be introducing me (Saturday in Deltona)." </p><p>Hall's family said there might have been more going on beneath the surface, but no one questions her ability to focus on her studies and avoid getting pulled into the drama and politics of high school's upper echelon. </p><p>"Even as a small kid, she was always very bright," said Jim Johnson, her cousin, an Ormond-by-the-Sea resident who, along with his wife, Dorothy, at times hosted his much-younger cousin and helped guide her toward college.</p><p>Hall didn't know she was in the running for valedictorian until late in her senior year. Johnson said he and Hall's mother, Louise of DeLeon Springs, had to intervene in order to make sure Hall's entire record was considered. </p><p>"Initially, the student about to be named valedictorian was actually the salutatorian. There were questions as to whether they could find Arvia's grades," Johnson said. </p><p>Eventually, questions about her transcript were cleared up and Hall was given the honor. </p><p>"She was driven to be a straight-A student and she did what she needed to do no matter what obstacle was put in front of her," Johnson said. </p><p>Former DeLand High Principal Lee Britton, who's retired but still lives in the community, said he doesn't remember any problems related to Hall's race. But he certainly remembers her. </p><p>"She was just a doll. A brilliant person," he said. "Talk about bright. I wish I had her brain power." </p><p>The Johnsons, as part of their mission to get Hall to consider not just college but an elite higher education, took her to Boston to visit the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, but they recall the temperature had fallen into the 40s and it was June. Hall, who didn't want to stay in Florida for college, decided instead to go to another famous engineering school, Georgia Tech. </p><p>She and her husband, Marshall Hall, have three children and live in Stockbridge, Ga., an Atlanta suburb. </p><p>During her valedictorian speech in 1990, Hall said: "We should always keep in mind from whence we came." </p><p>She credited her mother and family with giving her a strong support system to thrive. </p><p>And now, she speaks from a parent's perspective. </p><p>"One of the points I was going to make during my speech," she said, "is it's so powerful, the words you speak to a child. You're formulating their opinion of themselves. (My family) anticipated great things for me."</p>